Find The Perfect Home
If you are just starting to think about buying a home, all of the different styles and types of properties may seem overwhelming. How to figure out what you really want?
This is worth doing, not only so you are clear about what you are looking for, but also so you can give a copy of the final checklist to your real estate agent so they don’t waste your time showing you properties you don’t like.
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Fill Out The Checklist: this is a great place to start evaluating what you are looking for in a home. Make copies for everyone who will live in the house and compare completed lists. It can also be interesting to fill this list out now, and then again after you’ve looked at a few houses. Most people find that their list of “essential” features changes over time.
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Start a File: one of the easiest ways to narrow the field is to clip out pictures of homes which appeal to you. Have everyone who will live in the house look through the newspaper and magazines or online and select photos that show the kind of home and style of decorating they like.
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Go For A Drive: another way is to get the family into the car and drive around some of the neighborhoods you are interested in. Not only will you become familiar with the areas and what kind of homes, store and services are available there, looking at the houses will help shape the discussions about what features are important in your future home.
- Check Out Listings: Next you can go online and look in the Real Estate section of the newspaper to get some ideas about your local housing market. What neighborhoods have homes listed in your price range?
- Home Valuations: Another way to familiarize yourself with the housing market is to look at home valuations on properties.